Ensilage spreader and packer.



Patented Aug. 20, 1918'.

!NVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORN EY o'mmac UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

DANA W. DISHMAN, 0F OWENSBURG, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THEODORE CARMICHAEL, 0F HOBBIEVILLE, INDIANA...

ENSILAGE SPREADER AND PACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed July 14, 1917. Serial No. 180,597.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA W. DIsHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensburg, in the county of Greene and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilage Spreaders and Packers, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to silos and has for an object to provide a device adapted to be associated therewith and for the purpose of spreading, packing and forming ensilage within the silo into a compact mass whereby to insure perfect storage of the food without fermentation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device having the above named characteristics, which is placed in a silo and is adapted to pack the ensilage fed into the silo into a compact mass and to gradually rise to the surface of the silo as the same becomes filled.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a silo packing machine adapted to be operated by an internal combustion en gine or other source of power, and embodying a sectional shaft and a packing means originally disposed at thebottom, to rise upon the top of the mass as the silo becomes filled, however, with means for locking the sections of the shaft together and for permitting separation of the sections when the parts of the machine are disassembled.

In addition to the foregoing my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear Figure 1, is a view in vertical section of a silo illustrating the position therein of my packing machine.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4, are transverse sections taken on the lines 2-2, 33 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5, is an enlarged detailed view in section of one of the shaft sections and the mechanism for connecting the ends of adjacent sections.

With reference to the drawings 12 indicates legs which are formed upon their lower ends with bifurcations 13 which straddle and rest upon the top edge of the silo wall 11. A bearing 14, is provided at the juncture of the legs with a central opening inwhich a circular casting 15 is fitted. A bevel gear wheel 16 is formed integrally with the casting and said gear 16 is furthermore formed with a central opening 20 of rectangular configuration.

The packing mechanism proper comprises a central frusto-conical base 21 having a socket 22 formed in its apex of rectangular configuration. A plurality of arms 23 are disposed horizontally around the base 21, in radial relation thereto with their arms secured in sockets formed in said base portion. In the present instance four of such arms have been illustrated. however, it will be obvious that any number may be employed as desired. Rollers 24 are mounted upon a pair of oppositely directed arms 23 forrotation thereon at a point adjacent the base 21, and the other arms are furthermore provided at uniformly spaced points with disks 25 having central apertures through which the arms project, and disposed at an angle to the arms. i

A central shaft 26 is provided and is formed in sections 27, each of which is formed at one end with a socket 28 and at its opposite end with a reduced portion 29 adapted to enter the socket 28 of an adjacent section. The wall of the recess .28 of each section is formed with a transverse opening 30 forming a keeper of a latch 31 slidable in a transverse opening formed in the reduced end'29 of the next section above. A right angular device or bell crank 32 is pivotally mounted at a point adjacent the angular portion thereof upon a bearing 33 secured or formed upon the side of a longitudinally extending passage 34 which extends entirely through each section 27 of the shaft from one end to the other, the latch member 31 being pivotally secured to one arm of said bell crank 32 and the other arm thereof being bifurcated.

The shaft 26 is disposed vertically within the silo with the reduced portion 29 of the lowermost section inserted in the opening 22 of the base and with the upper end of the shaft inserted through the rectangular opening 20 of the gear 16 mentioned above. To centralize the shaft further, a plurality of centralizing devices 35 and 36 are provided,

in the case of the device 35 comprising a plurality of arms 35 each of which is formed in sections hingedly connected as at 37. The arms 35 are disposed radially relative to the shaft 26, and their outer extremities are sharpened as at 38, which extremities engage against the wall of the silo. The hub portion 39 of the device is hollowed out to receive a circular plate 40 which revolves therein and which is provided with a rectangular opening to receive the shaft whereby the shaft may be rotated relatively to said centralizing device. The centralizing device 36 is similarly formed with a plurality of radial arms 41 which are slidably or telescopically engaged at their terminals in sleeves 42 the arms being provided upon their extremities with sockets to receive balls to engage the wall of the silo. The sleeves 42 may contain springs to bear at one end against one inner end of the sleeve 42 and at their opposite ends against the end of the arms 41 to urge the arms outward and consequently the balls in engagement with the silo wall. The hub portion of the centralizing device 36 is formed in a manner identical with that of the centralizing device mentioned above.

Mounted upon the supporting legs 12 is a shaft 45 which is journaled at its ends in bearings 46. The shaft 45 is provided with a bevel gear 47 which meshes with the bevel gear 16 mounted upon the central shaft and a bevel gear 48 which meshes with a bevel gear 49 mounted upon a vertical shaft 50 which is to be driven from any suitable source of power.

A plurality of arms 52 are provided having lower bifurcated terminals 53 which straddle and rest upon the upper edge of the silo wall. The opposite ends of the arms, the same being four in number, converge to ward a point above the center of the silo and are connected integrally to a semicircular member 54 in which the upper projecting end of the central shaft 26 is held. A socket member 55 is connected in a vertical position to one of the arms 52 and a vertically extending rod 56 is seated in said socket memher as illustrated in Fig. 1. An arm 57 is provided upon one terminal formed with a sleeve 58 in which the rod 56 is received a collar 59 being provided upon said rod to form a rest for the sleeve and to permit rotation of the rod 57 in a horizontal direction. The free end of the rod 57 is formed with a semiecircular terminal 60, which coacts with the semi-circular member 54 to form a complete. inclosure for the u per end of the shaft 26 to securely hold tie same in place. The upper end of the rod 56 may be bent over and its terminal formed into a hook shaped support 61 which is disposed directly above the center of the silo.

In operation, the device is assembled, as

illustrated in the drawings, and as the ensilage is fed into the silo the packing mechanism is rotated owing to the transmission of power from the prime mover to the central shaft 26 through the medium of the bevel gears whereby the base 21 and the arms 23 will be rotated continuously. Owing to the manner in which the disks 25 are mounted the ensilage will be directed outward from the center toward the wall of the silo whereby it may be filled completely and the ensilage distributed uniformly from the center to the edge in the approved manner. As the silo becomes filled the base 21 and the parts carried thereby will be held above the surface of the material and will be raised toward the upper end of the silo therewith. Obviously the central shaft 26 is carried up also, and one section at the upper end thereof may be removed at a time. To this end, a tool is inserted in the central opening 34 of the uppermost section, said tool being in the form of a ring 62 supporting loosely a pair of hooks 63 which are adapted to grasp the arrow pointed end of a rod 64 which extends through the shaft sections, and is connected at its opposite end to the bell crank 32 so that the bell crank may be rocked to withdraw the latch 31 from engagement within the keeper opening 30 of the next lower section whereby the upper section may be disengaged. A block and tackle 65 suspended from the hooked portion 61 of the rod 56 may be utilized to lower the shaft sections one by one to the ground, and also to raise the various parts of the apparatus to the top of the silo when the machine is to be assembled, and for subsequently lowering the parts to the ground after the operation of packing the silo is completed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 2- 1. Asilo packing machine including means adapted to rest upon the ensilage and pack the same when said means is rotated, a shaft formed in sections adapted for end to end connection, each section having a recess formed in one end, a reduced portion formed on the opposite end of each section for entering the recess of the next adjacent section, a releasable latch mechanism within the reduced end of each section for engagement with the next section, whereby said latching means may be released to permit subsequent disconnection of the sections, and means adapted to be mounted upon the silo for rotating said shaft.

2. A silo packing machine including means adapted torest upon the ensilage and to pack the, same when said means is rotated, a shaft adapted to be connected at one end to said means said shaft bein formed in sections, adapted for end to en connection and each section having a central longitudinal passage defining a continuous passage ex-' tending through the shaft when the sections are connected, each section having a recess formed in one end, a reduced portion formed on the opposite end of each section for engagement in the recess of the next adjacent section, a slidable latch in the reduced end of each section for engagement with the next adjacent end to lock the sections together, means operable to release said latch, whereby a tool may be inserted in the central longitudinal passage to engage said releasable means to permit disconnection of the sections, and means adapted to be mounted upon the silo for rotating said shaft.

3. In a silo packing machine including a shaft, a centralizing means including a central hub portion slidably and rotatably mounted upon the shaft, radial arms extending from said hub portion, and pointed extensions on said arms hingedly connected thereto.

4:. In a silo packing machine including a vertical shaft, a support therefor comprising a plurality of arms, bifurcated portions at the lower ends to straddle the upper edge of the silo wall, the opposite end of said arms converging toward the shaft, a semicircular connecting portion for said'terminals to receive the shaft therein, a vertical rod mounted on one of the arms, a second rod journaled on said first mentioned rod for rotation in a horizontal plane, and a semi-circular terminal formed on the second rod to coact with the semi-circular connecting portion to serve as a closure and guide for said shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANA W. DISHMAN.

Witnesses:

ED. FREEMAN, O. M. Cox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatentl, Washington, I). C. 

